The Full English – Reviews

If anyone was worried about the new Judge album now can relax: The Full English is 100% Judge Smith. It features a bunch of stories and tales, a mixture of singer-songwriter stuff, theatre and some nice surprises. Developed with an intimate line up (Judge recently defined it an “unplugged” album) The Full English strikes and conquers the listener above all with its organic and coherent form: once you’re connected with the record’s mood it’s difficult not to be fascinated.

Despite Judge sail(ing) gladly from tango to reggae, from folk to rock, his strength and charisma keep it all on track. Also, the beautiful production (courtesy of Marco Olivotto/Labour of Love Records, who already earned a very good reputation producing the Jackson in Guastalla DVD a couple of years ago), and the perfect choice of the musicians (John Ellis on guitars, Michael Ward-Bergeman on piano, organ and accordion, and René van Commenée on drums and percussion) has a big part in it. Especially, Ward-Bergeman’s accordion work is one of the nicest surprises of the album, as it both adds a new and melancholic touch to such classic tracks as Carpet Tiles (previously released on the Dome of discovery album) and donates a fresh rhythmic pulse to the more funny “Monty Python kind of stuff” (Like a Rock, Tell me you love me). But all the instruments involved are pretty appropriate to the album’s mood, as the warm, typically 70ish organ and piano sounds perfectly match wth the elegant acoustic guitar work by Ellis and of course with Judge’s heartfelt vocal performance.

So we have a good compilation of messed relations stories, treated with the typical English kind of irony: Seemed such a nice boy (with a political hook in the lyrics) and Not drowning but waving would not have been out of place on Masters Spoon River Anthology, whilst the Take it away, Advance the spark and Chris does it better beat flavour is very enjoyable. A solemn rendition of It’s the silence that kills you from the Curly’s Airship album end(s) it all in a very impressive way. But that’s not enough, as we also get a video track as a bonus: it’s a Judge interview filmed in the Labour of Love studios, that allows us to learn a bit more about the making of the album, the musicians involved, the future plans and… the VdGG reunion.

So, what else? The Full English is a beautiful album, you’ll get addicted to it. Certainly Judge has the gift of being able to put together some small stories and a couple of chords in such a sincere and fresh way that you cannot be left indifferent.

In an interview several years ago, Peter Hammill called Judge Smith one of the world’s undiscovered geniuses. Judge’s new album, The Full English, goes a long way toward reinforcing this view. In one way, The Full English is at the other end of the spectrum inhabited by Curly’s Airships. The new album is a (much) shorter collection of songs than the "song story" opus Judge released a few years ago. Both, however, share his unique and often brilliant take on characterization, as well as his gift for composing catchy, deceptively simple melodies with seemingly natural ease.

Listening to the new CD, one is immediately struck by several things. First, the clarity of sound is astonishing; Marco Olivotto comes through with a wonderful production job and The Full English is imbued with a warm, rich vibe throughout.

Some of this can be attributed to the arrangements. Judge consciously set out to record a more stripped down, acoustic oriented album. The unique instrumentation (guitar, keyboard, percussion) adds immeasurably to the charm of the songs in a way that a full-on "rock band" would be hard pressed to deliver.

And there are the songs themselves. Judge has a talent for creating melodies and hooks that ingratiate themselves into the listener’s consciousness for days after hearing them. The songs are catchy, but they’re also good so one doesn’t mind them taking up residency in one’s head for sometime after listening to them.

Lyrically, Judge is often given points for the humorous storylines and characters he concocts. Rightly so, as it is pretty difficult to not smile while listening to much of his work. But there is also an acute comprehension of human nature at work here. Whether it be the alluring stories he offers such
as "Carpet Tiles" (where a couple start up a business before plans go awry) and "We’ll Always Have Paris" (which presents a lover anguishing over the end of an adulterous tryst), or the multiple characters he renders who merely have the title of a song in common ("Not Drowning, But Waving", "Seemed Such a Nice Boy"), he displays a depth of understanding about life’s various situations and the players that partake. These are not merely cardboard cutout characters trotted out for the purpose of a punch line. Judge brings them to life and gives them complexity even in the context of short character sketches. The Full English delivers on all fronts: production, performance, and composition (both musically and lyrically). A basically cheerful person himself, Judge probably has a positive outlook on life and the world around him. But if there is any justice, then he shouldn’t have to remain an "undiscovered genius" forever.

The title is a program – such music could be written only by an Englishman. After his last recording had presented such a shining comeback, the new CD of Judge Smith should not disappoint. It shines with whimsical inspiration. There whimpers, in "I want some of it" a ‘fatback’ organ about a straight rock rhythm, there is full male-voice choir and the slightly operatic voice which Smith also used so successfully with the predecessor.

Generally his kind of writing is clearly recognizable. Anyone who knows his own song cycle ‘Curly’s Airships’ or Hammill’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, will find again here many familiar ingredients. The essential difference is the instrumentation. The titles of this CD, apart from the organ and an occasional electric guitar, are very acoustic; the accordion or the piano control many songs. Hence, the titles remind one almost of French chansons. Also his voice which was not rich in variations enough for me in CURLY’S AIRSHIPS, fits with this instrumentation much better. An successful example is "It’s the silence that kills you" which reminds one, by the way, strongly of VdGG or Hammill. Also his texts are witty. One need hear (or read) only the last track where he speaks about sampler or music critic etc., including acoustic examples (of this).